Epilogue
by theDoctorlies
Summary: Years after the Mugiwara split up, a certain swordsman and captain are still wondering ‘what if’. ZoLu COMPLETE
1. Nobody Knows

Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda. I make no profit from writing this.

Summary: Years after the Mugiwara split up, a certain swordsman and captain is still wondering 'what if'. [ZoLu]

A/N: Just a short little thing I wrote. Please enjoy it. There is a second half in Luffy's POV.

**Inspirational Song: 'Nobody Knows' by Kevin Sharp.**

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**Nobody Knows**

A little over two years had passed since the Mugiwara split up with their share of One Piece, going to do their own things. Zoro didn't know about the rest of his nakama, but he went back to the dojo to help his sensei with the new students. The green haired man wasn't much for children, but after sailing on a ship with people like Luffy, there are some things that just become second nature.

**Luffy…**

He thought about his captain every day, of every week, of every month. Luffy went back to Fuschia Village with his share of the treasure, promising to write everyone when he could. Two years later, Zoro hadn't gotten anything from his foolish best friend. He was starting to forget what the rubber teen looked and sounded like, it'd been so long since that last night on the boat.

There was a student in his class that reminded him of Luffy. The kid was his spitting image, minus the small scar under his eye and the fact that he couldn't stretch his limbs. The kid even had his best friend's determination and his large appetite. Even though Zoro didn't play favorites with his students, this mini-Luffy made him drown in the memories of being first mate to a crazy captain.

Although, there _were _a few, painful memories, like the night before the crew split up. He'd missed his chance to tell the smaller teen how he felt about him. He'd kicked himself for it ever since, unable to help but wonder what would've happened if he had told his captain everything.

Now he couldn't because had no idea where the hell Fuschia Village even was. He'd be lost for _weeks _on the sea before he even found the damn place.

Dammit, he missed Luffy and no one but him would ever know.

~Owari~


	2. Finding Home

Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda. I make no profit from writing this.

A/N: The second half. Enjoy.

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**Finding Home**

It took two whole years to write to Nami, and a week for her to write back. He wanted to know where Zoro's dojo was, so he could pay the greatest swordsman in the world a visit. The navigator was more than happy to send him a map and even happier to travel along with him again after all these years. Unfortunately, this was a trip the rubber man had to take by himself, as much as he appreciated the red head's offer. There were a few things he needed to make clear to Zoro ever since the crew's last night on the Thousand Sunny. It took him years to figure out that the green haired man was much more than just his best friend and first mate.

He _**needed **_Zoro to know that, before it got too late, later than it probably already was.

Nami didn't know where Zoro's dojo was, but the map she sent him of the world would have to do. He set sail in a small boat near the end of Spring, managing to run into All Blue Baratie and sharing a few good laughs and even more food with his ex-cook. Sanji knowingly pointed him in the direction of where he thought the 'marimo' was, and even offered to sail with the dark haired man there.

Again, Luffy reluctantly declined and told the cook that this was something only he and Zoro could discuss. Luffy left his former cook smirking around his cigarette behind him.

By the middle of Summer, Luffy had happened upon only three of his crew. Sanji gave him lots of meat for the trip, Usopp almost capsized his little boat, and Nami smacked him for getting lost. He was thankful that his crew still cared so much about him. It made him incredibly happy.

"He's waiting for you, you know." All three had said with knowing smirks like they were all keeping the same dirty, little secret. Luffy hoped they were right. He'd been waiting two years to see the green haired man again. He was going to make it there even if it took another two years.

Finally, at the beginning of winter, he landed on an island he didn't recognize. It was in the traditional Japanese style, much like the Navy Headquarters but much smaller. There were little kids running around in the snow, throwing it at each other and making snowmen.

"Hello, mister!" A little boy piped up, and Luffy was surprised to see the spitting image of his younger self standing at his waist. The former captain straightened his trademark strawhat and gave the kid the widest grin he had in his arsenal.

"Roronoa Zoro?" Luffy asked the boy, looking around for that familiar head of green hair. All he could see were kids and unfamiliar adults, who had stopped playing in the snow to gape at him. Luffy could hear whispers of his name and the words 'Pirate King' among the onlookers.

"Sensei is in the dojo sleeping." Another boy said in awe, looking at Luffy with wide eyes. The rubber man grinned and grabbed his cheek, stretching it out for the whole crowd to see. There were some giggles from the smaller kids, and chuckles from the adults.

"He's been waiting for you, you know." The sentence was repeated for his benefit, this time from a man with a long ponytail. He pointed Luffy in the direction of the dojo, smiling widely behind him. It'd taken two years for the legendary Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy to come and visit his first mate, but it was better late than never. Zoro was going to be so happy, he wouldn't know what to do with himself.

Luffy stopped at the small building the nice man had pointed him to, and slowly pulled the sliding door open. There, in the exact center of the shiny wooden floor, was the swordsman his heart wouldn't-couldn't-beat without. Luffy felt tears prickle at the corner of his eyes as he walked over to the sleeping man, towing off his shoes before going up the steps.

Zoro was just as dark and attractive as he remembered, spread out on the floor and snoring softly. The dark haired teen kneeled next to his best friend's body and just stared down at him, burning into memory his eyelashes, cheek bones, and soft-looking lips. The man's swords were resting snuggly across his chest and under his arm, never too far from his reach like usual.

"I heard you've been waiting for me, Zoro." Luffy whiskered, before leaning over the green haired man and pressing his lips to the swordsman's in a chaste kiss. There was no immediate reaction, just a slight twitching of tanned fingers that Luffy almost missed. In a second Wadou was pressed against his throat, and dark green eyes were trying to figure out who the hell he was.

The rubber man leaned forward again, brushing Zoro's arm aside with surprising ease and planting another soft kiss on his lips.

"I'm finally here." Luffy whispered against his mouth, burying his face in the crook of the swordsman's neck and gripping his shoulders with blunt fingernails. That was when reality seemed to hit the older man, and his hand dropped Wadou in favor of clutching his best friend to his chest.

"I love you, Pirate King. Can you accept that?" The swordsman mumbled into his neck, remembering the first time they met. He smirked when Luffy laughed in to his shoulder.

"I wouldn't accept anything else. I love you, too, Zoro. Forever."

~Owari~


End file.
